Julia Konesky | Reporter
Plano junior Tiriah Kelley currently holds the fastest women’s 200-meter time in the Big 12 with the third-fastest mark recorded by a female athlete in 2025.
Kelley clocked the record winning time of 22.73 during the 2025 Corky Classic at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center in Lubbock. Her time broke the Baylor program record in the women’s 200-meter, grabbing her second consecutive first-place finish in the 200-meter and earning her Big 12 Female Athlete of the Week honors to round out January.
“Knowing there’s nothing I can do at the meet that’ll change what I’ve already done, I came here,” Kelley said. “I’ve got to perform and run. I just run and trust myself, really.”
Kelley is currently working toward nationals, which might seem small compared to her appearance in the US Olympic Trials, but it creates an opportunity to work on smaller details regarding Kelley’s training.
“The big thing that we talk about for her is executing the race properly,” head coach Michael Ford said. “For you to be successful, you have to take care of the small things … making sure that we eat at the track meet and after meets.”
Kelley transferred to Baylor as a sophomore at the University of Louisville after her head coach left for a different position and the staff was replaced. Transferring was a blessing in disguise as she came back to her home state.
“It was hard for a lot of us, especially the ones that moved all the way to Kentucky for our coaches,” Kelley said. “But God knows what’s best because I got to come back home to Texas.”
Kelley was welcomed to Baylor Track & Field by past teammates from her club team, Team Quest.
“The family atmosphere is good … but I also think when you’re running against a teammate, you’re not family at that particular time,” Ford said. “You’re thinking about how can I beat that person … I hope we go No. 1 and No. 2, but I need to be the one that goes first.”
Kelley learned perseverance and a strong work ethic from her mom, who raised Tiriah on her own.
“Prejudice and segregation really weren’t that long ago, and my mom, growing up in Louisiana, definitely experienced that firsthand,” Kelley said. “Growing up, I saw her as a single mom, too. Seeing her having to be the man and the mom in a situation. … It’s just beautiful seeing black excellence.”
Kelley will go for her third first-place finish at the Jarvis Scott Open on Friday at Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.
